Page "Alcobaça, Portugal" Paragraph 8

During the following centuries the monks from this monastery had an influencing effect on Portuguese culture.

Notably, in 1269 they were the first to give public lessons to their flock, and later they produced the authoritative history on Portugal in a series of books.

In 1810 the invading French pillaged the Abbey taking with them most of the many treasures including a noteworthy library.

Whatever the items remaining were then later stolen in 1834 during an anti-clerical riot and the extinction of religious Orders in Portugal.